Overflight rights restrictions for new Air Rescue jets

Luxembourg Air Rescue this week debuted two jets for the transportation of highly-infectious patients, but the international cooperation could run into difficulties over overflight rights restrictions.

(CS) Luxembourg Air Rescue this week debuted two jets for the transportation of highly-infectious patients, but the international cooperation could run into difficulties over overflight rights restrictions.

The presentation of the refitted Learjets on Tuesday drew considerable interest, for example from the World Health Organization and the US Department of State.

With the Ebola crisis not yet over, the jets could prove useful in the transport of patients, with the latest generation of quarantine protection on board, ensuring that the patient does not get into contact with either the plane or medical staff.

However, most countries in North and West Africa have yet to grant overflight rights to the special aircraft.

Rights dispute ends in tragedy

The fear of Ebola recently even prevented the transport of an accident victim, LAR project manager Claude Waltzing explained.

On January 30, LAR was called on to fly a woman from Cameroon to Paris. The local politician was critically injured in a car accident and was meant to receive expert treatment in France.

The jet never made it to Cameroon. At the last minute, while the plane was already over the Mediterranean sea, Algeria refused overflight rights. The jet had to land in Mallorca when it ran out of fuel after circling over the Mediterranean for over an hour.

The woman died of her injuries.

Waltzing assumes that Algerian authorities had previously received a request for the transport of Ebola patients and panicked. “Now we need to indicate the infection category of the patient for every normal overflight.”

Asselborn takes issue on

Flying around Algeria created significant delays, costing time and money. LAR also uses Algeria as a refuelling station.

However, the county has now prohibited transport of Ebola patients through its airspace.

Flying over Libya is not an option, because of ongoing conflict. Morocco, too, has so far failed to greenlight the flights.

From the start of next week, the jets will be operational. As it stands, LAR would have to fly via the Canary Islands, a significant detour.

The jets are in high demand. Since mid-December four requests were received to transport Ebola patients, but the jets were not yet ready.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn has now taken on the matter. “Because Ebola is such as delicate subject for some countries, we have not yet managed to gain the necessary permits for a direct route between Luxembourg and the three affected countries, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.”

However, the ministry is working on working on showing “that the Air Rescue jet module is absolutely safe and there is no threat of infection from the plane and its crew,” the minister added.